1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a location search device, a location search method, and a computer-readable storage medium that stores a location search program that have a limited number of buttons for inputting characters.
2. Description of the Related Art
Various types of technologies have been proposed for inputting a character string efficiently using a limited number of buttons in a case where the number of buttons for inputting characters is limited. For example, in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2007-206978 (JP-A-2007-206978), twelve keys are arranged in four rows of three keys each in a key portion 4 of a mobile telephone terminal. In addition, a text input area 32 and a candidate list area 33 are displayed on a screen of the mobile telephone terminal, with a text of an e-mail message being displayed in the text input area 32 and a list of predicted candidates being displayed in the candidate list area 33 in an arrangement that corresponds to the key arrangement (four rows of three keys each) in the key portion 4. Further, in a case where one of the keys that are disposed in the key portion 4 is pressed for less than a fixed time (that is, in a case where the key is pressed for a short time), the mobile telephone terminal displays, as input characters in the text input area 32, characters that are assigned to the pressed key. On the other hand, in a case where one of the keys that are disposed in the key portion 4 is pressed for at least the fixed time (that is, in a case where the key is pressed for a long time), the mobile telephone terminal displays, in the text input area 32, the predicted candidate that, of the predicted candidates that are displayed in the candidate list area 33, is in a display position that corresponds to the position of the key in the key portion 4 that is pressed for a long time. (For example, described in JP-A-2007-206978 (paragraphs 0017 to 0061)).